Distribution of media such as films over the internet to client computers is becoming more prevalent as film studios have begun to approve the process. However, piracy in this environment is a problem.
There has been a great deal of effort directed at preventing piracy of distributed digital media. One approach has been for the media provider to install executable code onto the client computer that reports to the media provider on the configuration and software running on the client computer. The media provider then assesses the client computer configuration to determine if it poses a piracy threat. If there is perceived to be a threat, the media provider declines or stops the download of media to the client computer. In some cases, code or data on the client computer is deleted or altered.
While it is important to safeguard delivered media from piracy, attention must be paid to client privacy and to the problem of false positives in the detection of piracy that result in subsequent alteration of the functionality of client systems. Quite apart from the potential for actual abuse, the bad publicity that comes with any perceived abuse on the part of the media provider can seriously affect consumer choice For example Sony root kit, Intel P3 ID, and Media Player GUIDs. It is also important that anti-piracy measures do nor unduly affect the operation of the media delivery system. In particular, anti piracy measures that take an unduly long time and so delay the delivery of content are unattractive to users and are therefore commercially damaging for media providers.
The term “comprising” as used in this specification means “consisting at least in part of”. When interpreting each statement in this specification that includes the term “comprising”, features other than that or those prefaced by the term may also be present. Related terms such as “comprise” and “comprises” are to be interpreted in the same manner.
As used herein the term “and/or” means “and” or “or”, or both.
As used herein “(s)” following a noun means the plural and/or singular forms of the noun.
It is intended that reference to a range of numbers disclosed herein (for example, 1 to 10) also incorporates reference to all rational numbers within that range (for example, 1, 1.1, 2, 3, 3.9, 4, 5, 6, 6.5, 7, 8, 9 and 10) and also any range of rational numbers within that range (for example, 2 to 8, 1.5 to 5.5 and 3.1 to 4.7).
The entire disclosures of all applications, patents and publications, cited above and below, if any, are hereby incorporated by reference.
In this specification, where reference has been made to external sources of information, including patent specifications and other documents, this is generally for the purpose of providing a context for discussing the features of the present invention. Unless stated otherwise, reference to such sources of information is not to be construed, in any jurisdiction, as an admission that such sources of information are prior art or form part of the common general knowledge in the art.